Some of you will know Goldwill (Ralf Schmidt and Henry Behring) from their “One Bill” single on Word and Sound last year, and they’ve had a good run of remixes and tracks since then, on Liebe*Detail, Einmaleins and Lomidhigh Organic.

One advantage of the delay is I’ve had this mix on my Ipod for ages, and I can confidently say it’s a really strong piece of work, a mix that stands out. If there was an extra H in HIAF it would be for hamburgers, both the meaty snack or the people from Hamburg. Goldwill have just moved to Berlin from there and I know they’re working hard on tracks so keep your eyes peeled for more releases!

Feel free to comment on the mix below and in the meantime check out what the guys had to say when I caught up with them via the wonders of the electronic mailbox.

How did Goldwill come about?

HB: We met about two years ago at music distribution Word And Sound in Hamburg. I can clearly remember that we went out to see Omar S. playing at a Smallville party in Hamburg. On that evening Ralf thought it’d be cool to try something in his home studio, just for fun. So we did and it was fantastic.

Before Goldwill I had been DJing for about 10, 11 years, collecting and selling records for a living. Had my very first studio session just a half year before meeting Ralf - at the homestudio of my buddy Hausmann.C who also used to work in the distribution..

RS: Well we met at work and became friends pretty quick.I did some stuff before as I was into making electronic music since basically my childhood days. Before Goldwill I put out some 12″s out with Till Von Sein and one with Marc Schneider.

RS: I am from the very northern part of Germany, a small town near Hamburg. Grew up there and lived in Hamburg for almost 5 years, but recently moved to Berlin.

HB: I’m from Schwerin, North-East Germany, close to the Baltic Sea. I have been living downtown for some years now. I spent more than 26 years in the countryside, splitting wood and cutting grass - lovely nature and fresh air!

What can you tell us about the mix, how and where it was recorded?

HB: It was recorded at my flat using my three turntables and the looper, without interruption. I took some supernew and all time stuff and started deep and slow - w/ the great “Birds” by John Daly together with an interview by a Detroit guy followed by a superslow 7″ by Sven Weisemann.

What sort of music do you guys feel you want to make?

RS: Any kind of music, as long as I can feel it. It has to make me feel happy and excited. I don’t like to restrict myself to a certain sound or formula. For Goldwill, we try to keep it as open as possible, as we both listen to so many different kinds of music.

HB: It think most of the stuff we do is based on house music in the broadest way. We don’t want to do a certain style to be expected. We need to feel the thing, having a good time first and trying to create something unique that we are down with.

RS: I could mention tons of producers…Brian Eno, Conny Plank, Rick Rubin, DJ Shadow, Quincy Jones; Stock,Aitken, Watermann; J Dilla, Neptunes, DJ Premier,…the list goes on. People who did something new, who created their own path. For house music producers, I tend to stick to the more raw/ edgy stuff. Like Pepe Bradock for example, Theo Parrish…everyone who doesn’t really play by the rules.

Do you have a time classic fav. record? One dance music and one not?

HB: I am sorry but I cannot name my ultimate dance favorite one. There are too many giving me goosebumps time and time again.

But in general, one very essential record is definitely the original soundtrack of Bladerunner by Vangelis, for several reasons. I own the bootleg vinyl version and I’ve been trying to get this gem since. I am probably not the only one! Another LP of this Greek composer was part of the small record collection my parents had, standing between Roger Whittaker and Modern Talking. I think that was the first electronic/ ambient/ synth-music I ever listened to. It was the GDR pressing of ‘Spiral’ from the end of the 70s.

And the very first record I bought myself was Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet. I am just listening to it and it is beaming me back in time to the living room where I was sitting with headphones; absolutely blown away by that, never heard such a sound before. These rhythms! Of course I didn’t understand any of their lyrics. But ever since, I must confess, I’ve been in love with (real) hiphop - which later guided me to its influences: jazz, soul, and funk.

RS: Non-dance: Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen. My mother used to play this a lot when I was growing up. Was etched into my mind forever. Still one of the records I listen to more often than anything else.

Dance: Various: Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit. One of the first records I have ever bought. I heard it and it literally changed my life. I have never heard anything like this before and wanted to find out how this music was made, where it was from and what was the reason it existed.

What are Goldwill’s plans for the next few months?

RS: Nothing special – we’ll just try to get our live set together, make it work for two people somehow. That plus being around, getting more gigs, doing more records.

HB: Continouosly working on our own tracks and doing some remixes. And for the weekends - besides DJing we are preparing a live performance together as Goldwill. Personally, I’d wish that we can find enough time and possibilities to continue with Goldwill, and who knows, maybe to be able to do this full-time one day.